Reynolds said he was ready for his four-minute pitch and simply happy to see investment in the heartland.

"No. 1, it helps get our name out there," Reynolds said. "It's the right thing to do for the community, but the cash really helps as well. We start to look and say where we want to be in 2017 and beyond that's going to require a lot of resources so this is a part of the puzzle."

The next stop on the tour is Denver.

UPDATE: According to 'Rise of the Rest' social media, Omaha-based company LifeLoop won Monday's pitch competition.